The prevalence of academic stress and the effectiveness of adopted coping strategies among first year students: implications for university counselling services

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1 Background to the Study

Stress in academics is a major issue in higher education due to the fact that stress affects not only the psychological well-being but also the academic performance of students, their social relationships and university life in general. It is described as tension in the psychological and physical sense that students feel when there is a perception of pressure from academic demands more than what one has resources to cope with. Academic pressure includes such aspects as exams, assignment, workload, deadlines, financial problems, competition, as well as expectations from the side of parents and lecturers.

It is especially significant when it comes to the first year of studying at the university because one should adapt to a different system of education, assessment, social contacts, as well as independence. The process requires students to change the environment that is familiar to them and take responsibility for themselves and for their actions and learning process. This period may be quite difficult for those students who are not experienced enough regarding such matters.

Academic stress can take the form of anxiety, lack of concentration, insomnia, irritability, lack of motivation, and trouble undertaking academic tasks. Where these symptoms become consistent, they tend to negatively impact learning capabilities of students and their ability to engage in university life. According to Joseph et al. (2021) who conducted a study on medical undergraduates, 77.3% of the subjects suffered from moderate academic stress while 5.7% had severe academic stress. While these results highlight the importance of academic stress, they cannot be applied to all first year students because the study was based on medical students from various levels of studies.

In Nigeria, academic stress can be caused by crowded learning environments, lack of learning materials, financial problems, busy academic timetables, and adapting to university life. One study carried out by Aihie (2022) found that workload and examinations were some of the perceived causes of academic stress among students in a Nigerian university. The above indicates that academic stress is not only an individual matter but can also be an issue arising from the environment within which learning takes place.

The various ways in which students cope with academic stress differ among individuals. The various ways of coping include problem-solving, proper time management, relaxation, exercising, engaging in religious activities, receiving help from friends and family, and getting guidance from professional counselors. Not all methods of coping are equal. Methods of coping that are active in nature, such as planning, seeking information, and solving academic challenges can be useful for coping. On the other hand, avoidance, procrastination, withdrawing from social circles, and self-criticism can lead to temporary relief.

Buizza et al. (2022) studied the coping mechanisms and mental health status of university students who visited the university counseling center. Self-blame has been recognized by them as a crucial predictor of poor mental health status. In addition, social support was seen as an important aspect in this case while studying coping mechanism of students. Likewise, according to Amanvermez et al. (2020) who conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis, interventions for stress management may have positive impacts on stress, anxiety, and depression levels in college students. This evidence underscores the importance of assessing not only the coping mechanisms adopted by students but also their effectiveness against academic stress.

The counseling services provided by universities play a key role in helping students adjust to their new environments, improving their mental health, and fostering appropriate coping skills. Through individual counseling, stress management classes, academic skills training, peer support programs, and early detection of distressed students, counselors can help address these issues. Given this understanding, knowledge on the prevalence of academic stress and the coping strategies used by freshmen students will help universities implement evidence-based programs that would cater to the needs of the students.

Thus, this research aims at finding out the prevalence of academic stress and the effectiveness of coping strategies among freshmen university students..

1.2 Statement of the Problem

Academic stress for university students in their first year is an issue due to the fact that the process of transitioning to university exposes students to new demands in terms of academics, socialization, and personal life. While there might be situations where some stress may encourage students to study and finish their work, too much or prolonged stress can have a negative impact on concentration, emotionality, and academic involvement as a whole.

There are various ways of dealing with stress that can be adopted by students, but not all of them may be appropriate for solving their issues. There are students who use such strategies as procrastination or even withdrawal, and there are students who use the help of friends, family members, clergy, or professional counselors to overcome their issues..

There have been studies about the academic stress faced by university students as well as the coping mechanisms that they resort to, even amongst Nigerian university students. Nevertheless, the results obtained by studying the general population of undergraduates may fail to completely explain the situation facing first year students, who may require other forms of adjustments compared to the ones facing students in other years. In addition, the presence of counseling services does not mean that the students use them or that their current coping methods are efficient.

The problem that this research aims to solve is the need for information about the extent of academic stress facing first year students, their coping methods and the efficiency of these methods.